Blog VI- Jennifer's Question

Buenos Aires: 

Somewhere between Paris and Havana

In her email, Jennifer, our daughter, wanted to know what Buenos Aires was really like? Here's an

attempt at an answer.

With all of its old world sensibilities and Latin panache, Buenos Aires is, without a doubt, the most European city in the western hemisphere. 

Sure, you notice all the French and Italian architecture immediately...

See Linda at San Telmo?

....but once you've lived here a bit, the real flavours of this great city start to percolate through....

...not only in the incredible week-end markets,.... 

... or in those casually sophisticated cafés you find everywhere,....

......but also in the open theaters, and the stadiums too. 

Yes, and it's also here that you'll find the two great passions of Argentina: the Tango and “Fútbol”.

But, there's so much more.

Just step into an avant-garde gallery situated in some exquisite example of European architecture, and chances are that on your way out, you'll probably notice...

....that the building next door is a dilapidated, run-down cousin, that's become an eye-sore...

...probably wearing last night's edition of Graffiti Express, ... which, I might add, is legal here.

How can this be?

Simply put, Jennifer, in every other way but geographically, Buenos Aires lies somewhere between Paris and Havana.

The Rise

It's magnificent buildings and boulevards were all erected at the end of the 19^th century, an incredible period during which Buenos Aires became one of the richest cities in the world. 

El Congresso, the Argentine Congress or Parliament

Thanks to it's the country's agricultural treasure house, the Pampas, incredible wealth was amassed,...

....and poured into a a building spree that lasted 35 years..

....leaving hundreds upon hundreds of very beautiful buildings...

The most wonderful "Teatro Colon", the 3rd best Opera
House in the entire world.

many of which housed a cultural scene that rivaled that of London and Paris. 

In short, Buenos Aires became a master piece, having its own place on the world stage.

The Fall

Run down and dilapidated and next door to the Parliament.

However, the 20^th century was not so kind...

and the once-proud flag whose blue and white stripes boast an optimistic image of the sun in the centre....

..... was suddenly the world-wide symbol for real economic chaos and a succession of terrible military dictatorships. 

Ten meters from the Argentinian Parliament.

The crash was hard, sudden, and sadly has proven to be almost permanent,...

...while the dictatorships, now in the past, used their military power, as well as that of the church and business, to suppress...everything.  Not only were they...

....cruel, they were moreover, devastatingly effective in extinguishing any trust these 44 million Argentinians once had in their institutions. 

This is the way of the Argentine people.

The City Today

B.A. is a special place and “Porteños” (as people here call themselves) are sexy, alive and most of all, supremely confident. 

In fact, there is a vibe that works here.  Like a very seductive Tango, B.A. takes you under its spell, pouring out all of its passion and regret, beauty and ugliness, and yes, even sorrow and fleeting joy.  And somehow, you love it.

Indeed, to live in B.A. is to realize that the city itself ( its past, and its future), is... a Tango.

Otras pasiones in B.A. 

(More passion, please!)

BBQ's are everywhere...and deliciouis

Beef or “Bife”

Argentinians, those great eaters of beef, mix no spice into their BBQ. Ironically the Argentine stomach cannot tolerate spice. Don't ask for it rare either. The secret of the Argentine steak is twofold:

- the quality of the “Bife” coming off of the Pampa

- and the slow, very slow, oh so slow, cooking.

Ice Cream?....Beer?....Anyone?

You only have to walk 100 yards to realize that you've already passed two ice cream shops and four cafés where they serve liters of beer, draped in white linen, and chilled in a bucket like iced champagne. 

And if you listen closely, you might hear a discussion about one of the recent outdoor orchestra recitals, or operas, or maybe even about last evening's ballet. Simply put, it's not just about soccer, culture is in the city's DNA.

“Portenos, the beautiful ones”.

One has only to look at fashion in this city to understand that cutting a good figure is important, all the while, bringing a touch of edgy modernity and hope to this city of faded elegance.

Looking smart, shapely, and sexy here is crucial. And speaking of “cutting a good figure”, really conservative estimates have one in thirty sporting some form of lift, nip, or tuck.

Dogs

AND OH, BY THE WAY, the animal of choice in B.A. is canine. Here the very friendly B.A. dog is king and a status symbol to boot. How does it work? The more dogs you own, the better; and the better manicured your dog, the higher your social standing. Now all together...Bark! Because they sure do.

Dog walking is an honorable career choice here.  You may own
one, but you may not have time to walk one. 

Ya, “Butt”...

The obsession with dogs comes at a huge cost. There is dog...mmm...caca everywhere. Those that measure this kind of thing estimate that 30 tons of excrement are coiled on to Buenos Aires streets every day. But hey, just another reason to call Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America.

But in the face of financial and political corruption and mismanagement, can B.A. survive?

Once the world’s 10^th richest country (1913), Argentina now languishes in 55th place below Gabon and Antigua. And the sores and scars of the past are everywhere to be seen. So, despite any improvement, it's all still a toss-up.

And through it all, Buenos Aires manages to maintain its grace. 

I like to think of it as a rugged, yes, somewhat aged, but still energetic and good looking city, with a lot of great stories to tell.

Something, some of us might relate to. 

Linda wants B.A. to be a phoenix. 

 Well, ya, me too.

And if so, could it ever be the phoenix we all want... a sustainable metropolis and yet, still one of the friendliest big cities in the world?  Let's keep our fingers are crossed.

And hey, I know that we didn't speak about the wine. That's because we'll be heading up to Mendoza soon.  Some Argentines are suggesting that we move on to Salta from there, but that, we think, will be for next year.

A hugely curious coincidence:

As mentioned, Linda and I have been attending a lot of concerts, one of the most recent being that of the Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colón, at the Eva Peron Amphitheater here in B.A. 

By a fluke flurry of friendly emails, we discovered that our condo owner was not only a musician returning from L.A. but a member of this equivalent of our very own NAC orchestra. 

The fluke? That he performed in the last concert we attended...which I taped in part.

Have a look! He's one of the cellists. We're supposed to meet him soon at one of his concerts.

Just double click the link!  We've made our choice.  Which one do you think he is?

http://youtu.be/_fpkMsuC6rQ

Hosta Luego!!!